The Wasteland 2 patch cycle has been pretty intense: day 1 updates, random hotfixes and 6 major patches. All that translates into a lot of improvements and a lot of downloads.

mega.co.nz has been been having problems so Patch 6.0 is not on it

Patches for the GOG.com version are here. But be sure to finish reading this post to understand the instructions!

I'm going to share some alternative patches for the Steam version, that minimize the amount of downloading required to get up and running (and optionally allow you use the Windows version of the game to create Linux/Mac installations). These are the smallest patches available: on average they have been 70-90% smaller than the Steam downloads (and slightly smaller than the GOG.com patches). You can also burn these patches to a disc for later use or even make your own Linux/Mac installers (just don't illegally share them).

This is an unsupported upgrade path; do not contact inXile for support. These patches work for me, but there is no guarantee they will work for you. Do not get upset: if you waste a lot of time for nothing, your computer explodes, or you cause a global apocalypse. In other words: proceed at your own risk. If any of this sounds intimidating, stop reading and just stick with the normal supported upgrade path.

My initial goal was to make the retail discs useful to Linux & Mac gamers (who are currently stuck downloading the whole game on a first install). So having said that: my patching workflow is going to rely heavily on a open source tool called rdiffdir.

rdiffdir is part of the duplicity software suite and will be used to apply the patches; which means you'll need to have it installed to continue. duplicity is in the software repositories of most Linux distributions so you shouldn't have a hard time finding it. A Windows version can be found here: https://www.itefix.net/cwdup. But I suggest you use a Linux LiveCD when you start using rdiffdir; my instructions will be for Linux environments (until I get a chance to play with cwdup some more). [Supposedly a Mac version of duplicity is available somewhere as well.]

Feel free to contribute any findings, howtos and reports on successes and failures. I'll try to keep this post updated with the most recent information. If the patches work for you: feel free to reshare them on bittorrent; just be sure to link people back to these instructions.

resources.assets md5sums
By looking at the md5sum of the resources.assets file you will be able to tell which version of the game you have. On Linux and Windows the resources.assets is found in the WL2_Data directory, but on Mac it's in the WL2.app/Contents/Data directory.

rdiffdir will not stop you from applying a patch to the wrong files. So pay attention to these md5sums when you start using the patches. Applying a patch to the wrong version will create a garbage file. Steam will replace the garbage file with the correct one during the verification step. So it's not a "game breaker"; but you will waste bandwidth.

Vanilla Retail [Version 1.0]: 16e86e8ee0c99a9a7420567f0c500f29

Vanilla Backer [Version 1.0]: 1f71c64d3a365c7f53e415ceafb2dd52

Patch 3.1

Linux: 994b0fb6db3879377e7a3d3064347e00

Mac: b9c602fce35825aaedfd5d8ff2fb1d28

Windows: 6f97375149a01c5843f054adc509ced9

Patch 4.1

Linux: 99a9d3e02fac58f82e68ec9e84acad1a

Mac: d681c1314a9f037d40d2dd848df75373

Windows: c2411416394f965de89b2f24e9a33c6a

Patch 5.1

Linux: 5975b0518fef1d9903769627e8d6b1a8

Mac: 0e12fc3613b67cb7808fcef5fca4b7cc

Windows: 0111bd8d868a4333ec981cc3b3a77d9e

Patch 6.0

Linux: 36134dd1e1fa855585311cba01d0c93c

Mac: d2c49317121bbc95dc7c815eceedadb9

Windows: 027d5788b6d6a2574b6762f467792658

Getting the game files from the installation media
You can skip this step if you already have the game installed. Otherwise continue reading for instructions on how to get the Vanilla WL2_Data directory from the installation media.

Unfortunately the installation files were encrypted by Steam. So regardless of your desired end platform (Linux, Mac, or Windows) we will need to use Steam on Windows to unpack them for us. (It's been suggested that WINE might be used to unpack the files on Linux; maybe someone can confirm.)

But we don't want Steam to actually finish installing the game; it will start downloading updates and changing the files before we've had a chance to patch them ourselves.

Start a normal game installation

As soon as you see the Steam dialog say "Installing from disk..." disconnect your computer from the internet. Steam will continue to happily unpack the game files to this directory:

Highlight Wasteland 2 in your games list on Steam and select the “Delete Local Content...” from the context menu

You now have a vanilla copy of the Wasteland 2 game data to work with. If you hate Windows: feel free to stop using it at this point; everything else can be done on Linux/Mac.

Pro tip: The Vanilla Backer Edition WL2_Data directory can be used to make a custom installer.

Vanilla Retail 1.0 -> Vanilla Backer Edition 1.0
Two versions of the game have been released so far: a single disc Retail Edition (that was sold in stores; it has a Deep Silver logo on the front) and a two disc Backer Edition. If your game is of the single disc variety: then you need to apply this patch to turn your copy into a Backer Edition. Everything later on in this guide will assume you have the Backer Edition. (If you already have the Backer Edition just skip to the next section.)

Note: If we allow Steam to do it's own updates it will turn the Retail Edition into the Backer Edition (so don't expect to gain anything you shouldn't have).

Custom patch size: 2.7GiB

Start by downloading the retail2backer files from one of the mirrors here:

Use the WL2_Data folder to install Wasteland 2
Now that you have the fully patched game data, it's time to let Steam install it properly. (Before installing: there may be additional patches you can apply below.)

Inside of the SteamApps directory, you'll want to create a folder named “common” (if it isn't there already) and inside of that create a folder named “Wasteland 2”.

For Linux: Create a folder called “Linux” and move your WL2_Data directory inside of it. So that your final path looks like: ...“/SteamApps/common/Wasteland 2/Linux/WL2_Data/”

For Mac: I believe you'll want to create a folder called “WL2.app” and move your WL2_Data directory inside of it and rename it to “Contents”. So that your final path looks like: ...“/SteamApps/common/WL2.app/Contents/” (I'm not really sure how things are laid out on Mac.)

For Windows: Create a folder called “Build” and move your WL2_Data directory inside of it. So that your final path looks like: ...“/SteamApps/common/Wasteland 2/Build/WL2_Data/”

Once done: start up Steam and tell it to install Wasteland 2. You'll know you copied your WL2_Data directory to the correct location if Steam says "Discovering the existing files for Wasteland 2...". After Steam finishes it's discovery process, it switches to downloading the game: it will incorrectly report needing to download ~8.8-19GiB. But will only downloading new/missing game files (usually ~200MiB) before completing.

Upgrade Existing Installations: ~2.x -> 6.0
If you simply want to upgrade your copy of Wasteland 2: the following patches are for you. You must apply these patches in order (i.e. when upgrading from version 3.1 to 5.1: you can't skip 4.1).

Note: If you are unsure as to what version you have simply use md5sum on the resources.assets and compare with the list at the start of this post.

For Mac: The WL2_Data folder is named "Contents" (inside you will find: Data, Frameworks, Localization, etc.).

Start by downloading the patch for the platform you want to upgrade from one of the mirrors here:

rdiffdir patch [path to the WL2_Data folder of your Wasteland 2 installation] [path to the *.delta you extracted]

Start Steam (pause any downloads)

Highlight Wasteland 2 in your games list on Steam and select “Properties” from the context menu

On the “Local Files” tab click on the “Verify integrity of game cache...” to get steam to register the changes.

For comparison: downloading the official Steam patches versus using one of these Custom patches to upgrade your game.

2.x -> 3.1 = 10x smaller (90% reduction)

Steam 2.2GiB

Custom 223.7MiB

3.1 -> 4.1 = 18x smaller (94% reduction)

Steam 986.4MiB

Custom 53.1MiB

4.1 -> 5.1 = 24x smaller (96% reduction)

Steam 1GiB

Custom 42.2MiB

5.1 -> 6.0 = 6x smaller (84% reduction)

Steam 949.7MiB

Custom 151.51MiB

Troubleshooting:
If you have trouble with getting Steam to register the new Patch. You can try using the "new install" process above to force Steam to reinstall the game: move the WL2_Data directory somewhere else (like your desktop), uninstalling Wasteland 2 via Steam, put the WL2_Data back in the SteamApps folder and install Wasteland 2 via Steam (look above for more detailed instructions.).

This account is dormant. I won't be responding to threads, quotes or private massages.

Or you could just use gog patches (well..if you had windows it would take you 2 minutes to figure out how) which combined are smaller than all your 'custom' patches.
If you really want to help some user save some bandwidth, make xdiff patches.
Why didn't you use KiB ? Are you trying to confuse people? (those are rhetorical questions)

Of course not, by all means to each his own.
I was merely attending to his affliction

If you hate Windows:..

, wishing him to be free like that african goat like creature (gnu is it?).
To avoid further innuendo (erm), let's not go into more depth of those shallows.
So just lazy eye lingering around this post, considering submit button and save draft..and their uppity position and lack of humor which blinds the other eye, something pokes the former eye about the topic title; why so typical, so McDade alike - couldn't he just have used alternative as the word itself kinda describes either one of the two adhered in front.
With that headache I leave thee

aegan wrote:Or you could just use gog patches (well..if you had windows it would take you 2 minutes to figure out how) which combined are smaller than all your 'custom' patches.

I'm not targeting these to GOG users. But I think there might have been some confusion with the patch workflow:

The GOG Patch 3 for Windows is 237.2MiB (228.4MiB Patch 3 + 8.8MiB Patch 3.1) while the custom Patch 3 for Steam is 223.7MiB (my patch is technically 3.1 already). So the custom patch is smaller than the combined GOG patches (even without the 3.1 part). GOG doesn't have any patches for Linux users, and Mac users only have patches up to version 2.

To compare a clean Windows install: using GOG, you would need to download over 9.5GiB (for the Patch 2 game). But with the custom patches (and installation media), you download only 4.4GiB (for the Patch 3 game).

As far as I'm aware: these custom patches are the smallest for the game on any platform (and probably won't be bested). But having said all that: these are only for Steam users; so the comparison is really 223.7MiB custom patch vs 2.2GiB official Steam patch.

aegan wrote:If you really want to help some user save some bandwidth, make xdiff patches.

These patches are binary delta differences (like what diff generates). I looked at a number of patching solutions (xdelta, bsdiff, vcdiff, etc.) before deciding on rdiffdir for my toolchain. The differences between rdiffdir and other delta encoding coding tools were small enough to not be noteworthy (generally a few bytes).

aegan wrote:Why didn't you use KiB ? Are you trying to confuse people? (those are rhetorical questions)

All patches have been upgraded to use 4.1 (including the Windows to Linux and Mac conversion stuff). Interestingly enough: a fresh install to 4.1 requires a smaller download than a fresh install going to 3.1

If there is enough interest, I may release a GOG 3.1 -> 4.1 patch for the Linux version. Unless you guys like downloading the complete game every time it gets updated...

This account is dormant. I won't be responding to threads, quotes or private massages.

GOG.com doesn't create patches for the Linux version of the game; which means you're stuck downloading ~10GiB every time a new version comes out! So here's some custom patches for the Linux GOG.com versions that weigh in at ~50MiB.

You can use this list to help figure out what version of the game you have or simply md5sum your resources.assets file.

gog_wasteland_2_1.5.0.9.tar.gz [Patch 3.1]

gog_wasteland_2_1.6.0.10.tar.gz [Patch 4.1]

gog_wasteland_2_1.7.0.11.tar.gz [Patch 5.0?]

gog_wasteland_2_1.8.0.12.tar.gz [Patch 5.1?]

gog_wasteland_2_1.9.0.13.tar.gz [Patch 6.0]

Once you're ready to patch:

Start by downloading the custom patch you need from one of the links here:

[quote="tonurics"]Update Vanilla Backer Edition to Patch 4.1[quote]
So, those of us who will (eventually) get a 100% DRM-free Day 1 disc from inXile can use these instructions (or the ones for whatever the final patch it) to make a custom disc that will have the game and the patches with no need for Steam at all?

Or will you guys just ship those supplemental discs with whatever the then-current patch version is? Because the Day 1 version had some pretty serious bugs (infinite enemy running, all of Hollywood, etc.)

Technically all versions of the game are DRM-free, there are no disc checks, hidden registry keys or other unsavory things.

The only thing you need to work around on the Retail discs is the Steam installer, which encrypts and compresses the game installation files. But once you're past that and have the "Build" folder (WL2_Data is inside of it), you have the whole game in a portable form. That is to say: you can copy the "Build" folder to a USB and run it on another computer without needing to install (or use Steam).

My goal with these patches wasn't to remove Steam from the process, just to cut out it's grossly inefficient patches. So I am only patching the files in the WL2_Data folder (not everything else). However, if the other files don't change (and they may not), then you don't need Steam to update them.

I afraid, I don't know anything about supplemental discs [outside of my purview]; but cool stuff continues to be in the works. A real effort was made to get alternative installation options included in the backer boxes; the fact that they are not there, is not from lack of trying.

This account is dormant. I won't be responding to threads, quotes or private massages.

Can you use Steam's built in backup/restore tool to get the game files from the DVD? I have SteamOS on an old MiniITX system that I use for streaming games. It doesn't have enough room to do an install, but I put the 1st DVD from my Collectors Edition in the DVD drive, click Steam from the menu, select "Backup and Restore Games..." from the dropdown list, check the "Restore a previous backup" option, click Next, browse to the directory where the DVD is mounted, click Select and it recognizes it as a Wasteland 2 backup.

tonurics wrote:I rearranged the links and added filefactory.com mirrors for people unable to download from mega.co.nz

I have some room on my server at home to host the smaller patches (all but the 2.7 GiB and the 4.2 GiB ones), if you’re interested just give me the md5sum of these patches and I’ll provide alternative download links.
Actually I could host the bigger patches too, but my upload rate won’t go higher than 400 kB/s, which would make an awfully long download.

I’ve nothing against the hosts you chose, but the megaupload experience told me a couple mirrors can’t be a bad idea

jimnms wrote:Can you use Steam's built in backup/restore tool to get the game files from the DVD? ... it recognizes it as a Wasteland 2 backup.

It sounds like you might be on to something. Of course you'll need to prevent SteamOS from changing the files before you've had a chance to custom patch them yourself (perhaps unplug the network?).

vv221 wrote:I have some room on my server at home to host the smaller patches (all but the 2.7 GiB and the 4.2 GiB ones), if you’re interested just give me the md5sum of these patches and I’ll provide alternative download links.

Thanks for the offer!

This is really just a pet project; it started while I was at lunch one day. Which is why, I'm not using any official resources to host these... I figured if it proved useful enough, the community would spread it. So by all means feel free to redistribute these anywhere you like (just link people back to this this thread).

I was waiting until a few people wrote in saying that the patches worked, before mentioning it in a official update or Tumblr post. (I see where people have downloaded them, but no one has replied.)

I believe all of the multi-part patches have md5sums.txt files in the shared directories already. If I remember, I'll upload some for the smaller files.

This account is dormant. I won't be responding to threads, quotes or private massages.

tonurics wrote:I was waiting until a few people wrote in saying that the patches worked, before mentioning it in a official update or Tumblr post. (I see where people have downloaded them, but no one has replied.)

Looks like it’s how it actually works. On my last "big" pet project (a translation archive for Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri), I had to wait for dozens of downloads before seeing even a little feedback…
Anyway, I’ve kept every WL2 version published by GOG.com, I should be able to test the three upgrade patches before hosting them.